Multi Class - Points Redeemed Seem Unfair

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fiscal

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Hi All,

We want to travel PER - LHR return in Nov/Dec 09. Normally we stop over in both directions in SIN for a day or two. This time we would prefer to fly straight through on connecting flights.

The long haul will be in F class, but we cannot (at this stage at least) find any J seats (2 class only) on the PER-SIN-PER route, only Y class.

Qantas will charge us F class points for the entire journey PER-LHR-PER. This seems rather unfair when there will be no additional benefits provided on the short haul legs.

If seats in J do become available then we will also be charged 2500 points each to change the booking but no extra points for the class change. I am not holding my breath as there are only 2 flights a day, and the allocation of J seats seem to favor the non connecting flights, which involves a 5 hour wait on the outbound and 15 hours on the inbound.

So I thought that I would investigate making two bookings - one for the long haul in F, and one for the short haul in Y. This method saves us 68,000 points but the fees and charges are much higher, and I was lead to believe that whilst the baggage could be tagged all the way, we would have to visit the transfer desk causing needless delays to our convenience.

Does anyone know the rationale on why Qantas charge the entire journey in the higher class?

Many Thanks

Tony
 
fiscal said:
... I was lead to believe that whilst the baggage could be tagged all the way, we would have to visit the transfer desk causing needless delays to our convenience. ...
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Who led you to believe this? In any case, they would be incorrect.

If you front up at PER checkin with the e-ticket/itineraries for both bookings they will check your luggage all the way through to LHR.
 
Hi Serfty,

I was told by QF staff that, yes the baggage goes all the way, but we would need to get boarding passes from the transfer desk in SIN.

I don't know if that is correct?

Thanks

Tony
 
It's quite simple for them to do this they do not always want to. I have had no such issues when travelling on separate bookings.

What you do after booking is to call qantas and asked them to put "information" segments in each booking noting the segments of the other booking.

When checking in the agent will see these segments and should act accordingly.
 
serfty said:
It's quite simple for them to do this they do not always want to. I have had no such issues when travelling on separate bookings.

What you do after booking is to call qantas and asked them to put "information" segments in each booking noting the segments of the other booking.

When checking in the agent will see these segments and should act accordingly.
Click to expand...

Thanks Serfty,

Sometimes you cannot rely on all you are told by Customer Service<g>

I just worked out that doing 2 bookings will cost me a total of $2400 in fees (for the 2 of us $1806 SIN_LHR_SIN and $594 PER-SIN-PER), but if I do one booking the fees drop to about $1500 as it will no longer be seen as a stop over in SIN.

So is 68000 points worth $900 savings - thats the big question<g>

Tony
 
Now:
  1. PER-SIN-PER as a J award currently costs 100K QFF points and $297 in
    ppplus.bmp

    [*]PER-SIN-PER as a Y award currently costs 50K QFF points and $297 in
    ppplus.bmp
  2. SIN-LHR-SIN as an F award currently costs 252K QFF points and $776 in
    ppplus.bmp
  3. PER-LHR-PER as an F award currently costs 336K QFF points and $619 in
    ppplus.bmp
So combining 2 and 3 costs 302K and $1073, a difference of -74K QFF points and +$454 when compared to the direct.

Me, if in you situation? I'd do the direct and hope for J to appear as you intend - or - change my travel dates.

As for one class level being charged for the entire booking, unfairness, QFF award flight bookings have had this "unfairness" since 2005 - it's up to you is you wish to use the program for award bookings or not.

Me - I do not generally use QFF points for Qantas/Partner award flight Bookings - certainly not longhaul.

(Have you considered the QFF oneWORLD award where you can travel ATW in J for 282,500 or F for 422,500)
 
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Maybe you could do it as one booking through the Qantas website, just choose different flight classes on the one booking. The system should allow you to do this. Then the taxes etc will be applied to the one booking. The short haul segment PER-SIN is an A330 with PTV's in Y etc and only 5 hours so not a terrible flight.

QF should be able to give you your boarding passes for SIN-LHR at PER, if not you can get them at the QC at Singapore, rather than going to the transfer desk, you would be going to the QC or 1st lounge at SIN anyway!

If you have Gold or Platinum status you should have no change fees with QFF as well. Bags can always be checked all the way through.
 
Note that even if you were not able to get the boarding pass for the SIN-LHR when checking-in at PER, you can get the boarding pass from the QF First Class lounge at SIN. They can issue the boarding pass at the lounge so no need to visit the transfer desk. But as serfty has stated, there is no reason the boarding pass could not be printed at PER.

Its common for most airlines to charge the points for the highest class for an entire itinerary. To circumvent this limitation, Qantas offers one-way awards (many airlines do not) and you can book each segment separately. As you have noted this will result in less points required for your itinerary, but the fuel surcharges are then calculated per sector and you do not get the discount for through travel from Australia to London.
 
If there is one airport in the world i dont mind collecting a boarding pass at the lounge in its SIN, common arroval / departure terminal :) even if its not issues i would not worry, just pick it up in SIN.
E
 
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fiscal said:
Can you book that online using the normal QF award booking system?

Thanks

Tony
Click to expand...

it is easier to phone Qantas Award Reseravations but the Operator Assisted (points) Fee is already included in these quotes. They have access to other (ie more) flights which won't come up on the self service internet thingy - eg CX and perhaps MALEV etc

Note that with this fare it is often easier to get business class availability on the other one world airlines than on Qantas.
 
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serfty said:
Yes, once you have selected flight from two oneworld carriers other than Qantas the points calculation is automatically based on oneworld levels.

Also, while it can be used for ATW travel it can also be circle, e.g. PER-SIN-LHR-CGD-HEL-NRT-PER.
Click to expand...

Hi Serfty,

Not sure about CGD as it is in the middle of China<g>

See ya

Tony
 
Actually, CDG is Charles de Gaulle.. in Paris.. not china.
the round trip serfty gave you was PER(perth)-SIN-LHR-CDG(paris)-HEL(helsinki)-NRT(Tokyo)-PER. Hope that clears it up
 
Yeah but serfty typo'ed :)
We all do it all the time, me more than most :D:D
E
 
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